1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to vehicle accessories and, more specifically, to a Collapsible Bed Cap for Trucks
2. Description of Related Art
Utility vehicles such as pickup trucks have become a mainstay of much of the delivery and construction industry. Many homeowners have also found the value in having an open-bedded utility vehicle. Once problem with pickups is that the open-topped bed permits the materials being carried to be exposed to the environment and/or to unauthorized individuals.
In order to cure this, hard covers and caps have been developed to seal the truck beds. The problem with these hard covers and caps is that they become permanent additions to the vehicle, thereby defeating the purpose of having an open bed. In response, there have been one or two devices created that can provide temporary covers for pickup truck beds. One example is the “camper top” described in Cornelius, U.S. Pat. No. 6,439,646, depicted in FIG. 1.
The Cornelius “camper top” 10 is a lightweight assembly for attachment to the bed 22 of a conventional pickup truck 18. The “top” 10 consists of a “space frame” 12 over which a (presumably) weatherproof skin of material is installed (not shown). The “frame” 12 consists of a pair of “longitudinal rails” 30 and 32, and a “head rail” 44 that are attached to the upper edges of the bed 22. Extending upwardly and interconnecting the “longitudinal rails” 30 and 32 are a “front hoop” 34, and “intermediate hoop” 38, and a “rear hoop” 36. The three “hoops” are interconnected to one another by a plurality of “spreader bars” 54.
The problem with the Cornelius “camper top” 10 is that it is not collapsible, and therefore suffers from similar deficiencies as the prior hard-shelled tops, namely that it either must become a permanent addition to the truck 18, or it must be stored in an assembled state (which consumes a large amount of space). What is needed is a bed cap for pickup trucks that is lightweight, durable, yet collapsible as well, such that when not in use, it occupies a little storage space as possible.